Following last week's lead, I thought it would be fun to have a look at a few more songs that Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have been covering lately during the Stump the Band part of the show on the 'Working On A Dream' tour.
First up is 'Expressway to Your Heart', written by Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble. It was a hit for the Philadelphia R&B group The Soul Survivors in 1967. Note the clever song request sign placed at the base of Bruce's mic stand.
OK, let's get a little more aggressive. As 1979 turned to 1980, The Clash released what would eventually be widely regarded as one of the all-time great rock albums. 'London Calling' was a double album, sold at the price of a single album, and featured a great cover photo and graphics that paid homage to Elvis Presley's debut album.
Did that album's title track 'London Calling' Stump E Street? I think not, although Bruce and Steve sure do seem to be consulting a teleprompter down on the stage floor for the lyrics. Cheaters! I wonder whose job it is to scramble and find the lyrics to whichever song(s) Bruce selects for Stump the Band, and then get them up on the teleprompter in time for Bruce to start the song.
Finally, while we're being aggressive, let's continue down that punkish path to The Ramones' 1978 hit 'I Wanna Be Sedated'. A good Friday tune, no doubt. The clip segues into something called 'Spirit in the Night', written back around 1972 by some obscure rocker named Bruce Springsteen.
Note how close to the stage the fan who posted this clip must have been. What about all those warnings on the tickets and on Ticketmaster's web site about how filming and photography are strictly prohibited and punishable by death to you and your whole family, or whatever? How did security not see this guy filming? Is it possible Bruce instructs them to turn a blind eye just so clips like this can make it onto YouTube and be seen by the masses in order to generate even greater demand for tickets? I'm sure if I made such an attempt, my camera would be confiscated, I'd be fined, tossed in jail, and barred from all future Springsteen shows, hell maybe all forms of live entertainment and all public spaces, for the rest of my life.
Happy Friday!
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